Hydrotherapy apparatus



1964 s. L. MCNAIR I 3,155,092

HYDROTHEZRAPY APPARATUS:

Filed June- 29, 1962 2" Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTOR. 4574/7052 .4 Mew/me Afro/Mfrs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1962 A rrole/ws'rs United States Patent 3,155,092 HYDROTHERAPY APPARATUS Samuel L. McNair, L'as Vegas, Nev., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Songroud Corp., Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed June 29, 1962, Ser. No. 206,318 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-66) This invention relates to hydrotherapy apparatus; more particularly to apparatus especially adapted for treatment of a patients feet, hands, or forearms.

Included in the objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a hydrotherapy apparatus wherein a vessel, adapted to be filled with water, is removably mounted on a supporting frame which also supports a vibrating unit.

Second, to provide a hydrotherapy apparatus wherein the vessel has yieldable walls, adapted to be distorted and gripped by the supporting frame, so that vibrations from the supporting frame are efficiently transmitted to the vessel and the water therein, and also to permit ready insertion and removal of the vessel into and from the supporting frame.

Third, to provide a hydrotherapy apparatus wherein the vessel is formed of insulating material and the vibrating unit, which is electrically operated, is disposed outside the vessel to eliminate the possibility of elec tric shock.

Fourth, to provide a hydrotherapy apparatus wherein the supporting frame includes a mounting bracket at one side of the vessel, so arranged to receive a vibrating unit of cylindrical form which may be readily removed from the frame to permit separate use of the vibrating unit as a massaging device.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the hydrotherapy apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view thereof taken through 22 of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, plan view thereof with the water-containing vessel shown fragmentarily.

The hydrotherapy apparatus includes a supporting frame structure, preferably formed of wire. The frame structure includes a rectangular, longitudinal frame 1 having side members 2, an upturned end 3, and a larger upturned end 4.

Welded to the longitudinal frame 1 is a rectangular cross frame 5 having side members 6 projecting laterally beyond the longitudinal frame 1 and terminating in upturned ends 7. In addition, there is provided a U-shaped frame 8 having side members 9, which parallel the side members 2 contiguous thereto, and an upturned cross member 10.

The upturned cross member 10 is disposed adjacent the upturned end 4 to define therewith an upwardly, open channel which receives a vibrating unit 11. The vibrating unit may be of the type more fully disclosed in Patents Nos. 2,840,071 and 2,972,347, the vibrating element, however, being mounted in a cylindrical case.

The cylindrical case of the vibrating unit 11 is yieldab-ly held between the upturned portions of the side members 2 and 9, adjacent the ends 4 of the frame 1 and cross frame 5 of the U-frame 8. These portions are provided with yieldable sleeves 12, formed of rubber or other elastomer, and the vibrating unit 11 is provided with a pair of mounting bands 13 which wedge between the pairs of sleeves 12.

The supporting frame structure rests on button pads 14 located adjacent the intersections of the longitudinal frame 1 and the cross frame 5. The button pads 14 include projections which are wedged upwardly between the contiguous side members 2 and 9.

The button pads 14 serve to support the supporting frame slightly above an underlying surface. In addition, that portion of the longitudinal frame 1 which projects beyond the U-frame 8 slopes upwardly so as .to place the vibrating unit 11 at a somewhat higher level above an underlying surface.

A Water-containing vessel 16 is provided, which is formed of a strong and tough, but yieldable, plastic material, so as to form yieldable side walls 17 and end walls 18. These Walls are adapted .to be wedged downwardly within the rectangular space defined by the upturned ends 7 of the cross frame 5, the upturned ends 3 of the longitudinal frame 1, and the upturned cross member 10 of the U-frame 8.

The hydrotherapy apparatus is utilized as follows:

The vessel 16 is filled with Water and then set into the supporting frame structure. The side and end walls 17 and 18 yield inwardly so as to be firmly retained by the frame structure. The vibrating unit 11, which is electrically operated, is then actuated so that vibrations are transmitted from the vibrating unit 11 to the supporting frame structure. In particular, the vibrations are transmitted to the upturned portion of the U-frame 8 which bears against one of the end walls 18 of the vessel 16 so that this end wall is flexed to set up vibrations in the water contained in the vessel.

By reason of the yieldable side walls 17, the vessel 16 may be readily inserted or removed from the frame structure, and yet is retained by the frame against accidental dislodgment when the frame is vibrated. Similarly, the vibrating unit 11 is firmly held, but may be readily removed it it is desired to use the vibrating unit separately. It will be observed also that, inasmuch as the vibrating unit 11 is disposed externally of the vessel 16 and does not need to be immersed in the water, the chance of receiving a shock is minimized.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details of the construction set forth, and it embraces such changes, modifications, and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as .come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hydrotherapy apparatus, comprising:

(a) a rectangular supporting frame having upturned gripping members at its sides and ends;

(b) a rectangular water-receiving vessel having yieldable side Walls forced between said gripping mem- !bers, whereby said vessel is removably secured to said supporting frame;

(0) bracket means extending from said frame disposed at one side 01f said vessel;

(d) and a vibrating unit disposed in said bracket means for transmitting vibrations to the adjacent wall of said vessel thereby to vibrate said vessel and its contents.

2. A hydro-therapy apparatus, comprising:

(a) a rectangular supporting frame having opposed upturned gripping members at its sides and ends, and an additional upturned gripping element spaced outwardly from one of said gripping members;

(b) a rectangular water-receiving vessel having yieldab'le side walls forced between said gripping members, whereby said vessel is removably secured to said supporting frame;

(c) and a vibrating unit forced between said gripping element and corresponding gripping member, whereby said vibrating unit is removably disposed contiguons to a wall of said vessel to transmit vibration to said vessel and its contents.

3. A hydrotherapy apparatus, comprising:

(a) a wire frame structure having upturned side members defining the sides of a rectangle, and an upward- 13 open bracket extending outwardly from one side of said frame structure;

(17) a rectangular Water-receiving vessel having yieldable side Walls forced between said upturned side members to removably secure said vessel on said 10 frame structure;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,448,446 Hulbert Mar. 13, 1923 2,846,201 Mermelstein Aug. 5, 1958 2,975,786 Williams Mar. 21, 1961 

1. A HYDROTHERAPY APPARATUS, COMPRISING: (A) A RECTANGULAR SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING UPTURNED GRIPPING MEMBERS AT ITS SIDES AND ENDS; (B) A RECTANGULAR WATER-RECEIVING VESSEL HAVING YIELDABLE SIDE WALLS FORCED BETWEEN SAID GRIPPING MEMBERS, WHEREBY SAID VESSEL IS REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTING FRAME; (C) BRACKET MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID FRAME DISPOSED AT ONE SIDE OF SAID VESSEL; (D) AND A VIBRATING UNIT DISPOSED IN SAID BRACKET MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING VIBRATIONS TO THE ADJACENT WALL OF SAID VESSEL TO VIBRATE SAID VESSEL AND ITS CONTENTS. 